I find it hard to believe that people out there are trying to get rich by selling fake cancer cures… but they’re out there. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently sent letters warning more than two dozen companies to stop selling fake cancer preventatives and cures.
The companies are all over the world — most of the warning recipients are in the United States, but others in Canada and Australia have been targeted by the FDA. Those warning letters cover more than a hundred different tablets, tonics, creams, teas, and “black salves” that claim to cure or prevent cancer.
Black salves — in case you haven’t heard of them — are products that supposedly treat skin cancer. Essentially, they burn off layers of skin. Supposedly, the cancer will burned away, leaving healthy skin behind. However, the FDA has documented evidence that black salves burn away healthy skin and underlying tissue.
The fake cures have all sorts of ingredients — shark cartilage, coral calcium, ellagic acid, different types of mushrooms, and more. Things that might sound healthy and beneficial, but can be useless — or worse, harmful to the body.
A spokesman for the FDA said that their biggest concern is that people will be harmed by these so-called cures. Some are generally hazardous; others may interact badly with medications a cancer patient is taking. Some patients may opt to forego medical treatment in favor of one of these fake cures.
The FDA calls these 125 products “unproven, unreliable, and… unkind to the patient who is seeking help.” I couldn’t agree more. Selling false hope? Potentially causing harm in order to make a buck? It disgusts me.
So what does the Food and Drug Administration hope to get from these warning letters? Ideally, the companies will quickly and completely stop marketing unapproved products that claim to cure cancer. Those that don’t will face further action from the FDA — up to and including product seizures and criminal charges.